Mahindra Waiting For Pantero and Centuro 110 cc Bike Segment

             Mahindra2wheelers

  Mahindra2wheelers  has unveiled two new motorcycles, the Pantero and the Centuro. With these new motorcycles, the company is trying to capture market share in the executive commuter segment as well as the premium commuter segment.

  Both the Pantero and the Centuro are powered by a single cylinder air cooled MCi-5 engine (Micro chip ignited 5-curve engine) which produces 8.5bhp at 8500rpm and torque of 8.5Nm at 5500rpm. The Pantero is targeted more towards first time buyers who are looking for basic features yet with great design. On the other hand, the Centuro is targeted at premium customers who are looking for lots of features.

  The Centuro features a "central locking" anti-theft system along with an engine immobilizer, a remote 128 bit encrypted flip key which is first in its class. It also features "find me" lamps that will help an owner locate his motorcycle in a crowded parking lot and guide lamps that will remain lit for seven seconds after switching off the ignition. The speedo is fully digital with white backlighting for better visibility. The motorcycle also features distance-to-empty fuel calculator and service due indicator.

  The Pantero is a completely new motorcycle from Mahindra. Rumours of the Stallio being rebadged as the Pantero can be put to rest. The company has claimed that nothing has been carried over from the Stallio other than the tank design. Everything else has been developed from scratch by Mahindra’s R&D team. The motorcycle features a fully digital instrument cluster with speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and clock. It also sports LED pilot lamps and LED tail lamps.The Pantero has an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 79.4kmpl.

  The prices of both the motorcycles are yet to be declared but we expect the Pantero to be priced at around Rs 48,000 and the Centuro demanding a premium price somewhere between Rs 53,000 and 60,000.Both the motorcycles will be manufactured in the Pithampur plant near Indore.

                                      Design & Styling:

At first glance, many would simply discount it for a rebadged Mahindra Stallio, but delve deeper into the underpinnings of the motorcycle and it is clear that barring the cosmetic similarities, the Pantero is a brand-new product built from the ground up by the Indian bike-maker. On the outside, the Pantero takes the basic design of body panels and fuel tank from the Stallio with the large front bikini fairing housing LED pilot lamps (three on each side) and the headlight. 

Having scrapped the Stallio project in totality, the R&D division at Mahindra 2 Wheelers has made sure to not only iron out the glitches that came to fore on the previous model but also gone a step ahead and bettered it in every department crucial to the commuter segment. For instance, the fuel tank although still a bit narrow, like on the Stallio, is now aided by a longer (774mm, longest-in-class), flatter and a bit wider seat, making for a comfortable riding stance. 

Couple that to the feet-forward placing of the rider foot pegs, and the ergonomic geometry is dead right for city commutes. A closer look and it is telling that the overall built quality and finish on the Pantero is not just better than what we saw on the Stallio but on par with the current competition in the 110cc class of motorcycles.

The paint quality is well finished and there are no shoddy panel gaps or dodgy weld spots visible on the outside. The full digital display console upfront comprises a tachometer, speedometer, fuel meter and tell-tale lights. While the console is up to the task, the switchgear quality on the chrome-laden bars could be improved to gel with the overall finish of the Pantero.

HONDA AMAZE DIESEL SEDAN WAITING FOR HONDAS ONLY DIESEL SEDAN

HONDA AMAZE  SEDAN WAITING FOR HONDA"S FIRST DIESEL SEDAN IN        INDIA

    Honda Amaze sedan that will be launched in India next year. Already launched in Thailand, the Amaze is expected to make it to Indian shores by April 2013. Powered by a new, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder i-DTEC diesel engine derived from the 1.6-litre Earth Dreams, the Amaze returns 23-25 kmpl. Prices could start from Rs 5.2 lakh for the basic petrol to Rs 7.3 lakh for the top-end diesel.

   Even without turning a wheel, there’s a sense that Honda has got it right, yet again. And this stems from the fact that present among us for the very first drive of this new car are the engine and product development heads. And as our interaction reveals, they aren’t very cagy either, which is quite a departure from typical Japanese officials at Honda.

  But, before we jump the gun here, it must be said that the odds aren’t exactly stacked in Honda’s favour. It’s not every other day that the company makes a diesel engine, after all. Hitherto, it only had two – the 2.2-litre diesel which has been around for a really long time and the 1.6-litre engine that is too new to be regarded as legendry.

   The second challenging bit is the car itself. Unlike most other car makers who design a hatchback with a sedan in mind, Honda’s Brio was thought of only as a hatchback. Clearly, the work to produce a sedan on the same platform would be not just more challenging but with high probability of getting things wrong.

  The good news though is nothing of the sort has happened. In fact, having to design the sedan from the scratch (well, almost) has actually allowed Honda added flexibility to go the distance most other compact sedan makers haven’t even considered travelling. We are of course talking about the Amaze, a sub-4m sedan designed on the Brio platform but with enough alterations to make it more than just a hatch with a boot. 

  Unlike the Maruti-Suzuki Swift Dzire for instance, the Amaze actually sits on a longer wheelbase compared to its hatch sibling. The only other car to have done this is the Sunny; but then, it isn’t exactly a sub-4m offering. Moreover, the Amaze has been redesigned with new body panels B-pillar backwards. It is wider at the hip and with it the shoulder room at the back has increased. The roof too has been re-profiled and has liberated more head room compared to the Brio. 

  But, it is the kneeroom that’s truly outstanding, period. The room at the front of course continues unchanged compared to the Brio, but at the back, there’s more usable kneeroom in the Amaze than even the likes of the Chevrolet Cruze and the Hyundai Elantra. As far as the rear head room goes, the Honda is equally matched with the Dzire, but it offers more shoulder room making it a much more spacious car overall than the Maruti. 

  And, yes, the boot is more usable too. We don’t have the official figures on its luggage capacity, but as our measurements reveal, the Amaze’s boot is deeper and taller and though it’s not as well shaped as the Dzire’s in terms of width, it can comfortably hold a lot more luggage.

   Honda hasn’t bothered to tinker with the interiors much; the dash is identical to the Brio with the Amaze only sporting a different set of instrumentation. The seats at the front continue unchanged as well and are comfortable to be in. At the rear, the seats have been redone. These have a bigger, more supportive seat bottom and the seatback is more reclined as well.

   Things are quite the same from the driver’s perch too. But, when you begin driving the differences compared to the Brio are a lot more obvious. The steering for one is heavier, and in a good way – it’s not uncomfortable but more wholesome. The clutch continues to be light to operate but the feel and progression isn’t great. The shifts again are precise with short throws but are not chier than we would have liked.

  The Amaze’s performance truly impresses. The 1.5-litre four cylinder diesel is smooth and linear in its power delivery without sudden bursts of shove coming in with the turbo at full boost. It has good grunt in the low and mid range too which should make it an easy car to drive around in the cities. Plus, the gearing is well sorted - it is on the shorter side which helps cut the turbo lag immensely. So much so that even in 5th gear, the engine gets from 1000rpm to 1500rpm is no time. It is noisy though, particularly at higher rpms. 

   This made for India 1.5-litre, four cylinder diesel is based on the new 1.6-litre diesel engine which Honda recently introduced in Europe. Everything from the construction to the materials to even the bore measurement of the engine is the same. It is an all aluminium engine designed to be the lightest in its class. It uses short skirt and light weight pistons along with high strength narrow crankshaft in order to bring down friction which, incidentally is only as much as Honda’s own 1.5-litre petrol engine. 

For India, Honda has worked on increasing fuel economy and low and mid range driveability. It has also been tweaked to handle our fuel quality better. The engine uses a small fixed geometry turbo which should help it develop between 85-90bhp. The same engine will be used in the Brio MPV as well as the new City due in 2014 but with higher power and torque figures courtesy a reworked ECU. Honda is also considering a VGT for this engine for higher outputs in the future.

   The Amaze when launched in April next year will be priced at a slight premium over the Dzire. Expect the price for the diesel (a petrol with the 1.2-litre engine from the Brio will also be on sale) to start at a little over Rs 6 lakh for the base and going up to almost Rs 8 lakh for the top of the line trim. At this price and given what the car and the diesel engine together offer, the Amaze makes a fantastic case for itself. As we see it, Honda certainly has delivered a winner here.

TVS PHOENIX LAUNCH 125 CC A HANDSOME VARIENT

 TVS LAUNCH  PHOENIX 125 CC A HANDSOME VARIENT

TVS Motors India has launched all-new 125cc commuter bike christened as ‘Phoenix 125’. The company unveiled the bike at ‘TVS Storm Ahead’ event held on 17-18 August in Bangkok. From the first photos leaked all over the net, it was clear that Phoenix 125 has modern looks featuring stylish fuel tank with huge sticker of ‘Phoenix’ on it. This bike is placed a notch above the TVS Flame and will compete with the likes of Hero Ignitor, Bajaj Discover 125ST, Yamaha SZ and Honda CBF Stunner.

Engine 

TVS Phoenix 125 is powered by 124.6cc petrol engine, which generates maximum power of 10.5 Bhp at 7500 rpm and develops maximum torque of 10 Nm at 6000 rpm. The engine is mated to a four-speed manual gearbox.

TVS Phoenix 125 Mileage

As per the claims made by the company, Phoenix 125 returns mileage of 67 kmpl under standard test riding condition. Expected real-world mileage figures are somewhere around 45 kmpl in city and overall mileage of 55 kmpl.

Instrument Console of TVS Phoenix 125

The instrument cluster of Phoenix 125 is all-digital including a speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip meter, clock and other tell-tales.

Most Prominent Features

• Twin LED pilot lamps
• Petal disc brakes
• Aircraft inspired decals
• Black alloy wheels
• Duel spring suspension
• Fully digital instrument console
• Hazard lamps
• Engine kill switch

Price of TVS Phoenix 125

TVS Phoenix 125 is priced at INR 51000 (ex-showroom Chennai) for the drum variant and INR 53000 for the front disc/rear drum variant.

Shades Available

Phoenix 125 is available in five eye-catching dual-tone shades:

• Moroccan Red
• Alaskan Green
• Helsinki Black Silver
• Belgian Black Red
• Oxford Grey

• ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
  Displacement:	124.6cc
  Engine:	124.6cc
  Maximum Power:	10.5 Bhp @ 7500 rpm
  Maximum Torque:	10 Nm @ 6000 rpm
  Gears:	4 Speed
  Bore:	54.5
  Stroke:	53.5
  Cooling Type:	Air Cooling
  DIMENSIONS
  Length:	N/A
  Width:	N/A
  Height:	N/A
  OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
  Electrical System:	NA
  Headlamp:	12V - 35W/35W Halogen
  Horn:	NA
  Wheel Type:	Mag Alloys
  Wheel Size:	90 x 90 - 17", 100 x 90 - 17" mm
  Tubeless:
  Colors:	Moroccan Red, Alaskan Green, Helsinki Black Silver, Belgian Black Red and Oxford Grey.

Mini-Aria Is Tata Motors’ Next SUV?

              Mini-Aria Is Tata Motors’ Next SUV

                    less than 4-metres in length

 

   The mini-SUV / MPV market is hotting up. When concept versions of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Ford ECOSPORT were shown to the world, they generated tremendous interest. Much was said about the practicality, value for money and multi-purpose utility for the Indian market. Especially because Indians love the SUV image, extra ground clearance help with bad roads and of course more space is always welcome! Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra moved quickly and introduced the Ertiga and Quanto.

      The sales charts are witness to the success these companies are enjoying.

Ford is yet to launch the EcoSport and Tata Motors completely ignored the hoopla that surrounded the Mini – SUV / MPV segment. Tata Motors is struggling with sales due to the outdated old Safari and extremely overpriced Aria. In spite of Aria being very technologically advanced, spacious, with a great engine and amazing features it failed to sell well due to high pricing strategy. So now Tata Motors are convinced that their latest project, the mini-Aria will help them get more piece of the action.

      The compact version of the Tata Aria should be less than 4-metres in length. The boot will become smaller and the last row of seats may become slightly cramped. Also it may be stripped of the awesome technological advantage that the Aria has. As developing a new platform and chassis is very expensive, Tata Motors can use the Aria or even the Safari Strome chassis and platform as a base. As they are already using the Fiat’s 1.3-litre Multijet engine in other cars, they have a good option of using it for the mini Aria as well.

   However all Tata cars are quite heavy (Aria being 2.2 tonnes), the Multijet engine may be quite underpowered for this purpose. Developing a new engine from scratch is an option but will add tremendously to the cost of the car. The engine has to be under 1.5–litres for tax benefit, so using the 2.2 engine is out of the question. Tata Motors has to buckle up, get their game straight and develop a very well thought out product to be able to compete against the already brilliant Ertiga, Quanto and even the yet to be launched EcoSport. They have to especially price it competitively to make it value for money. Otherwise it may end up with the same fate as the Aria.

  Tata Motors is also said to be working on a compact version of the Sumo Gold, which might hit the market as soon as next year. It will be sub 4-metre in length, giving it excise benefits. The mini-Sumo will be priced around Rs. 5 lakhs. The vehicle will have 7-seats (last row will be jump seats similar to the Quanto). It remains to be seen if there is acceptance for a compact utility vehicle in the Indian market.